Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Hulu’s ‘Paradise‘ takes the audience beyond the Colorado bunker, revealing how people above the surface survived the apocalypse that wiped out the world as we know it. While underground, Sinatra, aka Samatha Remond, is in charge of the world, things work very differently on the surface. The first episode of Season 2 introduces us to new characters who not only survived the apocalypse but are now actively working towards restarting the world. The group that we meet is led by a young man named Link, which is not his given name. Flashbacks reveal that he has been connected to the bunker and its making since the beginning, but interestingly, it isn’t until the penultimate episode that we learn his real name, which completely rewrites his role in the story. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Link’s Connection to Sinatra Runs Deeper Than Previously Imagined
In the seventh episode of Season 2, titled ‘The Final Countdown,’ Link and Sinatra finally come face to face. They have a chat where she tries to figure out what he wants, and more importantly, how dangerous he and his group can be to the people inside the bunker. They reach an impasse when he mentions Alex, and for a minute, it seems their conversation is done. Then, right as they are leaving, Sinatra pokes at him, telling him to back off from whatever he is planning to do, and he double-downs by telling her that he is going to destroy everything she has built by cheating and killing people.
His group, who are already out of the door, call out to him, asking him to leave before things get too heated. When he doesn’t respond to “Link,” one of them calls him “Dylan.” The mention of the name catches Sinatra’s attention. During their conversation, Link mentioned he is 26 years old. Earlier that day, Sinatra’s husband had lamented how their son would have been 26 this year had he not died. Link having the same name and age seems too much of a coincidence, so she asks him his birthdate, and it turns out to be the same day as her dead son’s. As if to confirm her doubts, Link has a minor nosebleed as he leaves, and when he is out of sight, Sinatra wipes her nosebleed too.
This all but confirms that the young man in front of Sinatra is her son, Dylan. The knowledge of her son’s existence perks up her mood, leading her to share a rare, intimate moment with her husband, something they haven’t had for a long time. However, this revelation also raises more questions than answers. From Season 1, we know Dylan had an incurable disease, and it was his death that pushed Sinatra to save the world so that she wouldn’t lose her daughter as well. The loss of her son has been a major cornerstone of her backstory, which is why Dylan’s being alive becomes a significant revelation.
Dylan’s Death is Never Shown in Paradise
One could say that Link being called Dylan and being born on the same day as Sinatra’s son could be a massive coincidence. But so far, nothing that happens in ‘Paradise’ has turned out to be one. But if Link really is Sinatra’s long-lost son, one can’t help but wonder how he is alive. More importantly, if he is alive, how did Sinatra not know about it? Young Dylan’s last image is him on a hospital bed, and later, we see the doctor talking to his patients about preparing for the impending grief, while Sinatra refuses to give up on her son.
Then, six months later, she is in therapy with Gabriela, and one year later, she is at the conference, which convinces her that she needs to make a bunker to ensure humanity’s survival. In all of this, we don’t see the moment Dylan dies, or even his funeral. Does this mean Sinatra tried some advanced treatment for her son and made it look like her son was dead? Apart from the fact that she didn’t need to do it, it is also to be noted that she truly is surprised to discover the details about Link. More importantly, an earlier flashback in Season 2 reveals how she sent Billy Pace to murder a scientist and his assistant, who turned out to be Link.
If she knew Link was Dylan, she never would have done that. The fact that Billy decided to let Link live is a fortunate surprise in itself. Moreover, if Sinatra really had sent her son away, wouldn’t she have brought him to the bunker when the apocalypse happened? Questions like this throw a shadow of doubt on Link’s true identity, but given how Sinatra’s mood takes a wild shift after hearing Link’s real name, there is clearly more brewing under the surface, and it most likely has something to do with Alex.
Read More: Is Annie Dead? Did Shailene Woodley Leave Paradise?
You must be logged in to post a comment.